She’s the girl behind the brand that turns old silverware into fabulous on-trend jewellery – but she wouldn’t have come up with the idea if it wasn’t for her struggling start.

The innovative jewellery business, Dad Daughter Designs, has become increasingly popular on Etsy.co.uk and has been promoted on YouTube for its unique designs made from antique cutlery. I found out it hasn’t always been easy however, when I meet the girl behind the success story who had to make the best out of very little.

Dressed in a pair of worn jeans and a thrifted top, from first glance you can tell that Leanne Nicholson is a small town girl from Georgia in the USA. She is also the daughter who helped set up the brand with her father, Herman Nicholson. Her family never had a lot of money, but she happily always made the best of what she did have.

What prompted her to set up her business? Leanne says, “A year after I had graduated from college, I really struggled to find a job and had little hope that I would do well for myself.” Leanne had studied art and design but there were little jobs available to her in Georgia where she would be able to make any money from art. With sadness in her voice, Leanne says, “My dad built houses for a living, but that had slowed down a lot too, and so we were both in desperate need of money.”

What sparked such a creative idea as antique cutlery? Perking up at the memory, Leanne explains that she had first thought of the idea when she had gone to a craft show and saw a man making bracelets out of silverware handles. Leanne says, “I really wanted one, but they were $65!” and while laughing, said that she is too cheap to spend that kind of money on one bracelet! Leanne decided to buy two spoons from a local thrift shop she often buys clothes at and asked her dad to make her one with a personal edge. She had her initials inscribed onto the spoon-bracelet, which she thought made it even more one-of-a-kind. While Smiling, and looking down at her wrist, she said that when she first started wearing it, all her friends and family wanted her and her dad to make them one. Happily, Leanne says “And the business just snowballed from there!”

Dad Daughter Designs jewellery is sold online on Etsy.com, a site similar to EBay where anyone can sell handmade items, ranging from jewellery to iPhone cases. The business has over a hundred followers on Etsy, where the community favourite and comment on many of her designs. With prices starting at £10 for the fork-prong rings and £15 for knife handle key rings and vintage spoon pendants, the business is affordable as well as inventive.

The excitement beams out of her while she shows me her favourite pieces. With a smile on her face, Leanne said “I love taking vintage brooches and soldering them onto spoon heads to make a statement piece.” She also has a ton of fun just going on searches for more vintage silverware, and says “It is always a treasure hunt!” Working with any member of family can be a tough ride at times, but it does have its perks. Leanne said that although she can get annoyed with her dad changing her designs, she laughs and says “The best part of working with my dad is not having to worry about getting fired!”

Leanne says, “I am mostly spending my time polishing the silverware up at the house, and my dad will be down in the workshop cutting and filing the pieces.” However I can tell that she is born to be creative, as she uses any spare time she has by uploading videos onto YouTube. Leanne has a close and niche online community where she gets hundreds of views on her videos displaying her jewellery as well as other creative hobbies such as singing songs from The Rocky Horror Show and showcasing vintage fashion hauls she had collected from vintage shops around her hometown.

After talking to Leanne, I realised that with enough determination, and a little bit of polishing, we can all find the diamond that’s within us.

Running any business is hard work, but how would you feel answering to your boss who is actually your mum? Would working from home with your sisters drive you mad? Family businesses are on the rise, and Bethany Fisher finds out why.

It’s hard enough on a wet Monday morning to get up early to commute to work to find your boss forever moaning. But just imagine if that was your mum. When I think of working with my family, I think of arguments and stress – not a foundation you want to run a business from. However I was pleasantly surprised when I talked to two different family-led businesses about why they worked so well.

Matilda Kirkwood, who is part of a team of three sisters, has driven their fashion couture business to success – fight-free! Forget the Kardashians, this new trendy trio behind the latest fashion enterprise K’outure, are a business team that ooze sisterly sophistication. With their quirky collections inspired by musical theatre and their Scottish heritage, this innovative design squad are organised and have their minds set for success. It is quite astonishing to see a business in such harmony, considering they come from a family of seven sisters!

Matilda, 26,Jemima, 24 and Harriet,27 are the three Kirkwood sisters behind K’outure, which they set up just over a year ago after studying costume design at Edinburgh College of Art. With a price tag ranging from £300-£900 for a piece from their collections, it’s obvious that they must be doing something right!

As there are three sisters contributing to the design work, you would assume it would be difficult to all agree on ideas. Matilda shrugs off the assumption by saying “As designers we follow a similar process, but our inspiration and work that each of us produces are very different.” Matilda said that they love this about their company, as the diversity and scope of work is increased with three different designers working under one label.

I know that if I worked with my family, we would all try and palm off the worst jobs on everyone else but Matilda said “If there is a job I dislike, it is without doubt adored by either Harriet or Jemima”, which makes them at their best when they are working as a team.

When running a business, it is sometimes difficult to get on with all your colleagues, and if they’re your sisters, being too familiar with each other could increase the stress. Matilda said, “As we are the eldest of seven siblings, we know that getting on is much easier than not, and when you work with people you care about – the urge to succeed is increased twofold.”

On days that they are incredibly busy or stressed, Matilda said “We rely heavily on lots of cups of tea” and added that tea and hard work are the backbone of K’outure.

When working with colleagues you generally need to be more tactful when opposing ideas or criticising work you dislike. Matilda said, “As sisters, we are our own harshest critics.” Matilda added, “Where in other working relationships criticism can be sugar coated, we have no qualms about being direct, to the point of brutal sometimes, with issues that we disagree on.”

This can cause problems and sometimes they can find themselves getting too personal in arguments. Matilda said, “When family is involved it can’t fail to be personal, which can occasionally lead to some rather heated debates.” Although this can make disagreements more difficult to deal with, Matilda argues that as usual in any family argument, it is forgotten within minutes!

Like any business partners, they all have bad habits they all have to deal with. Matilda said “I am very messy and forever putting things down and forgetting where they are!” Matilda added that Harriet is always disrupting the workflow to make at least fifteen cups of tea a day. Matilda said, “Our youngest sister, Jemima, gets very upset when working in a messy studio.”

The sisters also have very good qualities about them that make them bond so well as business partners. Matilda said she’s best with dealing with proposals and anything that requires writing, and Harriet is a brilliant leader, pacifier and mediator – all necessary qualities in an older sister!Matilda also said “Jemima is good at being very organised and generally keeping us two in line.”

It seems that working with your family can result in a very strong team, especially if you know each other’s weaknesses and strengths. I spoke toAyşegül Çetinkaya, who set up her business, Irregular Expressions, with her mum, which creates knitted and crocheted accessories. Ayşegül tells me why having a clear understanding of their roles, is key to running their business successfully.

The business is innovative on its own, despite the fact that a mum and her daughter run it together! Ayşegül said that her mother, Sebahat Çetinkaya, is a sixty-four year old retired teacher, and works ten to twelve hours every day crocheting and knitting and creating new pieces. The long lengths of time they spend together working on the pieces could cause arguments in the business, but Ayşegül knows how important it is to her mum, so she helps her as much as she can. Ayşegül added, “As I am fluent in English, I handle our online store and customer e-mails.”

The mother-daughter duo has learnt that because they care so much about each other, they tend to put all their efforts into their business. Ayşegül said “I think that anyone who is about to start a business with family members are better to start with a clear understanding of their responsibilities, as it can avoid tension because it is very easy to argue with a family member.”

From what I have heard, even though it can be difficult to get on with your family if you are working with them every day, it is obvious it also has a lot of benefits – and no one else quite knows how to make your cup of tea the way your family do.

Bethany Fisher talks boobs, brains and Botox with the mother who has written five novels and her daughter who showcased THAT tattoo on TV

Bonnie and Whitney – nicknamed the ‘botoxians’

Upon meeting the pair of glamorous starlets, Bonnie Blossman and Whitney Whatley from the new reality show, Big Rich Texas, I was very worried about what to expect. From the first few episodes that have aired on ITV2 this month, the two ‘outcasts’ of the series set in Dallas seem to be in the middle of every argument and at the front of every cosmetic surgeon’s waiting list. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find how real and down to earth they were – despite being partially made out of plastic and silicone.

They greet me with Hollywood white smiles and bat their thick false eyelashes that hide under their veils of voluminous platinum hair. I immediately compliment them on how glamorous they look, and Bonnie grins as much as her Botox would let her and in a high-pitched Texan accent replies “Why thank you, that is so nice! I spend an hour getting ready, but mostly for a hot bath!” Whitney, who is dolled up to the nines declares that most of the time she does not wear makeup because she thinks it is bad for her face, and never uses foundation or powder products.

Before any plastic surgery in 1990

I am not slow to dig the dirt on who they love and who they hate out of their cast mates on the show. Bonnie admits she loves fashionista Connie and ex-model Melissa as they have the best hearts and are good people to the core. “By the end of season two and definitely in season three, you can watch the transformation of our relationships. I don’t get along with any of the others, enough said.” Whitney nods and added “I’m with my mum – we get along with the same people and have the same that we don’t care for”.

When asking how they got onto the show, Bonnie says, “The American Big Brother casting producer called me about Big Rich Texas since I have a daughter, and when I told Whit about it, she was in!” Whitney, who seems more comfortable now, said “when my mum called me about it, I was like, hell yes! Let’s do it!”

If you are in the minority of people that has yet seen the show, we are introduced to Bonnie making a deal with Whitney, to get the c-bomb she tattooed on her foot removed in exchange for lip fillers. I ask them if they always make deals like this, and they both laugh, and admit they love a bit of surgery here and there. “I love Botox!” Bonnie declared. “I would have lines on my forehead if I didn’t get it, and who wants lines? Not me!” Whitney tells me that she is also pro-plastic surgery, “I have done Botox once, but it didn’t even do anything for me” – I am not surprised, she is only 24! Whitney admits she wants more surgery – “I want porn star boobs!” she laughs, while looking down at her already-large pair. Bonnie tells me that she has also had a nose job, and a CO2 laser procedure on her face, which she describes, was “fabulous”. “That’s all I’ve done, but I will fight aging every step along the way – I’m just not going to age gracefully, no way!” Bonnie pauses and then blurts out “oh, wait, no, I also had my boobs done after I had kids. Ok, that’s all I’ve done.”

Big Rich Texas Bonnie and Whitney looking beautiful for the TV series

For two women who spend a lot of money and effort on their appearance, you would assume that they wouldn’t have much else to offer in the academic department. “There are a ton of stereotypes about being educated and what you should look and act like and even more stereotypes about blonde hair and big boobs. I seek to break both of thesestereotypes.” Bonnie told me. She added, “It doesn’t matter what you look like, you are capable of anything”, and she’s right, as she goes on to tell me that she has a PhD in Biology, she has published five journals on microbiology and physiology, and is a published murder mystery fiction author.

She can tell from my face at how shocked I am after telling me this, and then admitted that she wasn’t always this successful, and considered herself as a teen failure. “My proudest moments are coming a long way from not graduating highschool – I had Whitney during my senior year and got married at 17 with inadequate education.” After working as a cosmetologist for two years, she shocked her parents by signing up to do pre-med at university, which ten years later credited her with a PhD. “I have an autobiography by the way,” she cheekily plugs, “it’s called, from GED to PhD!”

You can tell from Whitney’s proud expression that she looks up to her mum as a role model. “It shouldn’t matter what you look like, if you are smart, you’re smart,” she said – and Whitney is, she was a state champion cheerleader when she was younger and also studied pre-medicine at university and is working on her medical esthetician licence.

Big Rich Texas reality TV stars Bonnie (right) and Whitney (left)

Whitney tells me that she loves painting guitars and does lots of art projects. Looking at her exposed arms and chest I can tell that she loves being creative, down to the 10 tattoos decorating her body. “I have recently helped my mother make clay monsters for her animations”, she said. Bonnie piped up “Yeah I do Claymation for fun! Mountain dew paid me 10k (USD) for a Claymation that I put on youtube – it was horrible!” she laughed. The duo is also musically talented as well. Bonnie says that she has recorded seasonal dance songs as they have a recording studio in their house. “I also play bass guitar in our house band, which is called DrunkLora. My husband plays guitar, my son plays drums, and Whit sings too” Obviously named after their party lifestyles, I tell them that they live a very colourful life. “Yes, it gets loud at my house!” Bonnie laughed.

I thank them both for giving up some time from their hectic lifestyle, and tell them that we will be glued to our screens watching them for the rest of the series – but after stripping down their plastic exterior, I think we’ll see them in a very different light.

When the possibility of theme parks, spa breaks and multi-store shopping are around, being asked to spend the day in the Isle of Wight doesn’t exactly match up. Even the name sounds dull. Mainly made up of retired couples and pensioners, it’s not exactly Thorpe Park, nor is it as modern as Westfield’s. However it does host two amazing festivals each year, and it did give us Mark King, arguably the world’s greatest bass player. I ended up agreeing to go with my family, with hope that I could be pleasantly surprised.

When arriving in Shanklin, the south east corner of the island, there was an imminent feeling as if we had stepped back in time. A Morris Miner buzzed past us as I was trying to fix my blackberry from wavering in and out of signal. I had instantly started counting the hours we had left until we caught the evening ferry home.

We decided to start off the day with an interesting game of crazy golf on the Shanklin beach front, costing about £3 for the five of us to play. The Isle of Wight obviously had not heard about VAT rises yet, not that we complained. It was lovely to hear the waves crashing against the sand while we played amongst the locals and some other visiting families, even if the golfing ground wasn’t level and the golf balls kept running back to their starting points.

When we handed back our golf clubs to the owner, he kindly directed us to where we would find the amusements and ice cream shops further along the beach. While enjoying some traditional rum and raisin cones we sat on the yellow sandy beach and watched the yachts and ferries in the distance. We felt like we were on the film set of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang when we noticed some young children running out of stripy beach huts to be entertained by a Punch and Judy show. With the sound of the small road train hooting on its way past the beach in the background, you can recognise that it really is the year of being proud to be British!

Before heading out to lunch, we walked along the top of the cliffs of Shanklin beach, where the view is breath-taking on a clear day. On one side you can make out the beautiful White Cliffs of Culver and Bembridge Downs, and on the other you can see Portsmouth. I can see why people visit just for the coastal walks!

We then drove to the even quieter town of Godshill where we stopped off at the Willow Tree Tea Gardens, situated next door to a vintage toy memorabilia museum advertising at £1.50 per entry. Sat in the gardens of the tea room, we enjoyed some lovely (very English) cream teas and scones, that don’t skimp on the jam! If you want to visit an idyllic tea room with beautiful award winning gardens, then the Willow Tree is definitely worth paying a visit. Just be sure to book if you are going in the summer months, as I was told by the waitress that it is a favourite place of both the locals and visitors from the mainland.

After a fabulous lunch in Godshill, we then went back to Shanklin to explore the Old Village in the south side of town. The picturesque cobbled streets and restaurants are hidden around grade two listed thatched cottages and tourist shops. If you are to check out the old town, then the Old Rock Shop is a must! They have every traditional British sweet you could think of, which are displayed in large glass bottles on shelves, where the shop keeper will shovel out and weigh your rhubarb and custard’s for you. The shops selling china dolls and Victorian dolls house furniture gave us the sense we were in the wrong era as we walked through the dainty village.

As the evening got nearer and darker we were told by friendly locals that it was the best time to visit the Shanklin Chine – a gorge in the Cliffside, carved out by a fabulous waterfall and gushing stream. I would recommend going in the evening as the beautiful walk is illuminated with fairy lights and lanterns. It would also make a lovely spot for a romantic late night walk, especially with the benches that look over the stunning view we saw in the morning.

We then headed back to the old town to indulge for dinner at The Crab Inn – a local favourite. Although the atmosphere was rustling, loud and busy, everyone was friendly and the staff were more than helpful. Picnic benches could also be seen outside the dim-lit restaurant with clear views of the cobbled street and the famous sweet shop. The food wasn’t as artistic or adventurous as a dish you would be served in London, but the restaurant was satisfying and a perfect end to a busy day.

To be honest the Isle of Wight surprised me, and any previous misconceptions from friends suggesting it was the blame for their ‘awful childhood holidays’, were completely forgotten. I found there was plenty to do and I also enjoyed not being glued to my blackberry for the most part of the day. On the other hand, I don’t know if I could manage a week – there is only so much sugar rock and crazy golf I could take. However if you are looking for a nice quiet day out to relax and enjoy the traditional things in life, I would definitely recommend visiting the island. Seeing as the red squirrels never left, I would believe they equally agree.

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Around 200 members of the British Naturism group flocked to Blackpool in their birthday suits for a weekend of clothes-optional fun.

Two hotels were fully booked to host the members, including the Bond Hotel in South Shore. The stripped society was entertained with magicians, ten-pin bowling, an undress-to-impress disco, and a zumba class to remember.

The Sandcastle water park also opened its doors for a nudist-only experience, as they have previously been hired out by the group twice before.

Jane Kelly, from Sandcastle Waterpark said that the general age group of the naturism group were over 50, and they are more than happy to hold another event next year.

Steve Betts, Vice Chairman of British Naturism, stated that because of the cold northern weather, events take it into consideration and up the heating indoors, and put on clothes if it is too cold outside. Mr Betts stated that the Bond Hotel allowed nudity for the whole of the weekend in all areas of the hotel, including the restaurants and its bars.

A married couple, George and Julie Booth, members of British Naturism and Blackpool Sun club, also attended the unclad clan at Blackpool. George Booth admitted that if they’re cold, they put clothes on, and if they’re indoors they normally make sure that their preferred dress code is catered for.

Mr Booth was very happy with the turnout and said that any event that pulls over 100 like-minded people together is always going to be popular. George Booth also stated that some people just wanted to come and see Blackpool itself, even if that had to dress to walk along the Golden Mile.

There are currently over 10,000 BN members, with most over the age of 40. George Booth said there is also a Young British Naturist section made up of under 30 year olds.

Mr Booth was happy to announce that the next large event is next weekend at Stoke Waterworld with over 300 attendees. George said that other events will take place throughout the year until November.

Steve Betts is looking forward to the largest event of the year in Cornwall, where he said that the event, ‘Nudefest’ is held in June, and attracts about 350 people. There are also some other small events for the exposed extroverts to look forward to, including BBQ’s, discos, and jazz music festivals.

From being completely confused about wine to not knowing the difference between a Margarita and a Martini – when out drinking, we generally just settle with what we know. So how can we stop resorting to ‘another vodka and coke’? Bethany Fisher (soberly) reports.

You’ve been queuing up for what seems about forever until you hear the famous words ‘What can I get you?’ Does a sudden blank come to mind followed by ordering the same drink you have religiously bought since you turned 18? Don’t worry, you’re in the majority! However a life isn’t a life at all if you’re having after work drinks in a swanky bar, and still ordering what you did at college.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a simple rum and coke, but it’s always great to have variety. After all, you wouldn’t just own one pair of shoes would you?

Therefore I decided to do some drinking in a bar – for your benefit (obviously)! After testing out a selection of different drinks I would then master up a simple out of five rating for the taste, strength, price and overall look of each drink. After a fish and chip tea, my stomach was well-lined for the evening ahead.

My favourite drink of all time is a simple gin and tonic, but for you ladies I decided to do some experimenting. Mark Gill, cofounder of the London Cocktail Society said that if I liked gin, then I would most probably like a Negroni, Aviation, or a Tom Collins. Considering one is made up of three strong liqueurs and the other sounds like an old man, I decided to order a classic Negroni. At £8 it is expensive for a drink, but quite fair for a cocktail. The zingy orange taste mixed with sweet vermouth and gin was to my surprise, delicious, and a perfect drink to start off with (even if it did look like oil).

For this gin-inspired cocktail I would give it

Taste – 4
Strength – 3
Price – 4
Look – 1

Next I wanted to try one of women’s favourite spirits – vodka, but mixed with something other than coke or lemonade. Mark said that white spirits and fruit juice work best together, as well as with carbonated drinks. After seeing what fruit juices they had on offer, I finally ordered a single vodka and cranberry juice for £4. Although vodka isn’t my favourite spirit, I was delighted they went really well together, as well as getting one of my five a day!

For this (slightly) healthy drink I would give it

Taste – 4
Strength – 4
Price – 5
Look – 3

I was then stuck on what to choose next. Mark informed me that if you are ever clueless about choosing drinks, then you should just ask the advice of the bartender. After all, they are the experts. Mark also said that the most popular drinks are classic cocktails. So after asking the bartender’s advice, I settled with a very glamorous strawberry martini. Priced at £6 it was quite reasonable and looked fabulous in its tall glass with strawberry decorations on top. It was sweet and fruity and reminded me of summer holidays with the girls. I ended up ordering two after completely forgetting where I was – or what important work I was supposed to be doing.

For this strawberry sensation I would give it

Taste – 5
Strength – 3
Price – 4
Look – 4

I asked Mark what his favourite drink was, and he said it was an Old Fashioned because it is so simple and easy. When the bartender asked if I wanted it shaken or stirred I panicked and picked the latter. The dash of bitter and whiskey mixed with sugar, cherries, orange and lemon was extremely strong, but different – in a good way. That was until I got to the bottom, and sipped pure whiskey. I should have gotten it shaken. On a good note – I can’t wait to order my whiskey-cocktail when I’m out with my lad mates next. They will think I’m a drinking genius!

For this bitter beauty I would give it

Taste – 4
Strength – 5
Price – 4
Look – 4

Although the London Cocktail Society’s motto is “One martini is all right, two is too many, three is not enough”, Mr Gill recommends that you should drink in moderation if you are on a diet. Not like my evening then!

Although most of the drinks I found were not ridiculously priced, for those of you burdened with student debt, my advice would be to order spirits with soda and lime as it always keeps the cost down. However, while vodka soda and lime was lovely, gin and soda should be avoided like the plague!

There are also a few terms that helped save me during the evening when choosing my drinks. When the bartender asks if you would like it ‘on the rocks’, it simply means having your drink poured over ice. A chaser is a drink taken immediately after another drink, and something ‘straight up’ is a drink that is chilled in a cocktail shaker and strained. Oh and some personal advice – always ask for it to be shaken, not stirred.

If you are looking for further inspiration, check out the favourite drinks from the glamorous, rich and famous:

Jennifer Aniston likes to let her hair down with a Margarita

The Queen happens to enjoy a Gordon’s Gin and Tonic (with three slices of lemon)

Johnny Depp relaxes with a Bourbon Sour

Kylie Minogue likes a Lychee Martini

Marilyn Monroe adored a classic Champagne (…with aspirin)

Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell are often seen sipping Champagne Cocktails

The only way is Essex (if you don’t mind queuing an hour for the toilet and spending more money on your drinks than your outfit).

It’s the end of October, and the cold wind is splashing the rain all over my new heels. Thank god I don’t have to wait in the queue. I had already found out that there’s a high probability you won’t even get close to the bouncers on a Saturday night, so I’m glad I reserved a table at Masons first, the joint restaurant next door.

After arriving a bit late, the waitress at reception happily located us to our table in a cosy nook at the back. On the way I notice that not one table is empty, and everyone is dressed in their best. I presume they all had the same idea; a two course meal at Mason’s automatically gives you VIP entry into the club – which means no waiting in the rain, and a streak-free Essex glow.

At a glance, the menu horrifies me with its double figures beside each dish – unless you count a side salad as a fulfilling meal. I finally decide on the chilli tiger prawns and the vegetable lasagne, which were quickly delivered to my leather placemat. I have to admit the food is worth me being penniless for the night, as the crispy cheese topping was to die for and the portions would put Jamie Oliver to shame.

After the meal we all pay £10 to receive our VIP wristbands and queue jump straight into the club – before being confiscated of all chewing gum, to protect their ‘expensive décor’. A bit drastic in my opinion considering the beautiful historic building is destroyed with mismatched wallpaper and sticky floors. Don’t even get me started on the garish Buddha statues.

After much pushing and shoving (from other guests may I add) we finally make it to the outside bar. It would have looked beautiful with its cosy gazebos and candle lit tables – if it could actually be seen through the thick cloud of nicotine. Mick Norcross (the owner) could also have taken into consideration when designing the club, that cobbles are not a girl’s best friend when wearing heels. Stumbling to the bar I stumble even further when the barman tells me the price of a gin and tonic. At £8.15 it would shock a Londoner.

Shamefully I take my drink to the main DJ room hoping to myself it will last the rest of the night. At 11:30pm the club is at its busiest, and I can barely move. Dancing is off the cards then.

We then decide to find the toilets, and after half an hour of looking we get to a horrifically long line of whingeing girls. I think we found them. Two in fact – in the entire club. As we get close to the front of the queue a fight breaks out between two Essex blondes in front of us. As a stiletto narrowly misses my face, we decide it’s about time we head home.

Unless you are a dedicated fan of TOWIE or like to be ripped off with average drinks and moving space that battery-farmed chickens would disapprove of, I wouldn’t pay the Sugar Hut a visit. However the restaurant was lovely- just don’t travel there for a salad.

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She juggles a job with her university work, travels around the world, and raises money for charities. Yes, Blaise Maisey is a former Miss World contestant, with brains AND beauty, and is eager to let the public know that there is more than meets the eye to pageant models. Bethany Fisher reports.

While hundreds of feminists across the country gathered outside London’s Miss World 2011 competition in protest against sexism, I meet former Miss World contestant, Miss Maisey, in between her busy schedule, at her family’s home in Preston, Lancashire.

Maisey is everything that a beauty queen is about; tall and slim with gorgeous features. Even though she admits she is ‘dressed down’ today, her golden waves and perfect makeup tell me differently. Having spent the majority of her life in pageants, she still believes there is more to life than just beauty. Her number one priority in competing is to help others, and it is clear she still has the strong morals that she got from her mother as a child.

Starting at a young age of 12, Miss Maisey began competing in pageants that raised funds for children. Since then, she got hooked on competing and enjoyed helping less fortunate people. Maisey’s mother was also a contestant when she was younger, and won the title of Miss Honduras, as well as winning the title Cong in Miss Universe, all raising money for different charities. She inspired her daughter to compete, but to also keep her strong values and ambitions.

“Pageants are about more than just a pretty face”

Miss Maisey entered as Miss El Salvador at 18, and became Miss Honduras at 19, and said that the experience was once in a lifetime. As she gazed out the window, she admitted that she wanted to do something different with her life, and so took the opportunity, but kept reminding herself everyday who she was. Since then she has travelled from South America to Preston in England, so that she could go to University and pursue her dreams of working in fashion, while working at a competitive company in the city centre, NCO Europe, which requires her native language.

The Miss World competition has been around for years, but it still attracts protesters, especially recently when it was held in London. Women from Object and UK Feminista stood outside the competition, showing their disapproval to women competing for looks. Looking like she’s heard it all before, Maisey laughs and responds that it’s better people talking good or bad about you than none at all, however it is sad how people misjudge all pageants, as not all pageants are the same.

Julia Long, from Object, has said that their organisation objects to Miss World, as it is profoundly sexist because it is based on the fundamental notion that women are to be valued and judged on their physical appearance. Miss Maisey completely disagrees, and points out that Miss World promotes charities all around the world, and is not showing any nudity and is promoting a better good.
The pageant princess has spent a lot of her time getting to know the models in contests, and has found out that they weren’t always as lucky in life. The winner of this year’s Miss World went to a woman from Venezuela who had a rough upbringing, who lost her family when she was a child and lived in poverty. Maisey adds that pageants are about more than just a pretty face, as the winner’s life has not been easy, but from this she has become a role model for young girls who think they can’t achieve.
“Just because you’re beautiful it doesn’t mean you don’t have brains”
Julia Long said that the contest perpetuates a very stereotypical image of so-called beauty, which costs a lot of money, effort and pain to maintain. While she sighs and rolls her eyes, Maisey admits she used to be in shock of how pretty each candidate looked and wanted to be like them, but after getting to know them, she noticed they weren’t that different from herself. While she looks at me directly in the eye, Maisey agrees that you have to be pretty to compete, but beauty is unique, and that the perfect image only exists in your mind.
Maisey, who is currently studying at University for a fashion degree, knows what it is like to live on a budget. The beauty contestant spends a typical amount of money on her appearance just like every other woman, including for when she competes. And no she doesn’t have a walk in wardrobe. I checked. While pointing to a pile of messy clothes on her chair, Maisey expresses that you don’t have to spend a lot of money on shoes, jewellery and clothes, as beauty is learning how to work with what you have.
The media and the public are generally quite quick to presume that models are shallow and stupid, but after talking to this beauty queen, I can confirm that we are wrong. Maisey thinks that the world believes all contestants are airheads, when in reality they are women who have studied at Harvard University, worked all their lives with charities, and have their own businesses. After confidently flicking her hair, and tapping away at her Blackberry, Maisey added that just because you’re beautiful it doesn’t mean you don’t have brains.

What controversies hit Headlines during previous Miss World competitions?

Leona Gage, was disqualified in 1957 after her mother in law revealed that she was in her second marriage, had two children and was 18, not 21.

In 1961, Rosemarie Frankland became the first Miss UK to win Miss World. However, she became obsessed with the beauty pageants and suffered depression, where sadly she ended her life in 2000 from a drug overdose.

In 1965, Lesley Langley was able to keep hold of her crown – just, after nude photos emerged in tabloids. She now works for a dental company in her hometown in the UK.

Marjorie Wallace won Miss World in 1973, but had her title taken away from her after dating some celebrities and claiming she could sleep with any man she wanted.

In 1974, Helen Morgan resigned four days after winning Miss World after the media portrayed her as scandalous for having a son as well as being divorced.

Gabriella Brum had her title stripped after just 18 hours, in 1980, as nude photos of herself were leaked to the press. She later modelled for playboy.

Valérie Bègue was banned from Miss World after controversial photos were leaked to a magazine, featuring the French model being photographed on a crucifix, and eating suggestive food.

Laxmi Pandit won Miss India, but was stripped of her title just hours after the competition, after claiming she was single, when she had recently bought a marital home in Mumbai.

In 1991, Miss kansas: Kelli McCarty, won Miss USA , however recently she has turned from model to actor– in porn films.

Joost and Schulman’s prequel takes us back to how the horror all began in the haunted household, but this time uses new characters and camera tactics to create a new dimension of tension. The stepfather (smith) acts as the main camera man to the film, where he sets up cameras around the house when strange things start to happen. His character is a professional wedding movie maker; therefore his ‘director’ role in the film is more realistic than the characters in the previous paranormal films. Dennis (Smith) is able to show the audience more than ever, by using swivel cameras between two rooms to build suspense.

The two young sisters, Kristie and Katie acted most of the horror scenes connected with the ‘imaginary friend’ Toby. This figure stayed throughout the whole film, giving you an insight to what the evil spirit was. The movie was very much like the first two, using a slow build up of suspense throughout the first half, and then dramatically increasing towards the end with a shocking finale. However, I feel this film brought more psychological horror, as well as some mediocre gore, making it more thrilling than the last two. During the film it was painstakingly silent in the cinema, much different to the noisier, even laughable scary moments in the last two paranormal films I saw at the cinema. Ultimately, the cinema experience was more hiding ‘under your seat’ than ‘at the edge of your seat’, which was noticeable when coming out of the cinema, as everyone was waiting inside the foyer for their rides home, rather than out in the dark.

Not only is she absolutely stunning, and has a voice to die for, she has also become the latest muse for Mulberry.

That’s right, she’s only been on the scene for a short while, and already has a designer tote named after her.

The ‘Del Rey’, as it is called, is just as classic as her 50’s pin-up beauty. She was spotted showing it off on her arm at London Fashion Week at the Claridge’s Hotel on Monday. Of course all women were admiring it, and instantly had it trending on Twitter.

Lana on the front row at Mulberry's A/W Showcase, sitting next to Elizabeth Olsen.

In white ostrich leather, I’m sure this British bag will be ‘flying’ off the shelves. Mulberry bags looking to sell out this Spring/Summer would have to be the Cookie Bayswater and the Harriet Tote in cream. Both bags would look amazing against the cute pastel trends that are popular this Spring/Summer.

The Mulberry A/W Show was stunning as always, with ‘Where the wild things are’ as a soundtrack and a strong influence to the collection. Expect furs in all textures, and earthy burnt orange prints this winter!